User blog:Leolab/User Siege Tourney, Round 13 of 75: Military Brat (James Evans) v Leolab (Lloyd Kumar)
James Evans: The Irish general who seeks revenge on the English Attacking Lloyd Kumar: The Great Captain from India who seeks mercenary contracts and writing materials Prologue “What the hell happened to Billybob?” “Do we care?” “Not about him – anything that happens to him might happen to us.” Lloyd, Celina, and Cadwalader are sitting in the mess hall, trying to figure out what happened to Billybob. As Celina pointed out, they didn’t care as much about Billybob himself – they were more interested in what power their hosts had over them. So you’ve noticed, have you? Well, I’ve left a clue or two in his room. Lloyd sighs. Out of all the hosts he could have gotten, he had to have the one that ran this tournament. “Well, Leo says he left some clues in his room. And I’m up next, so you two go and check it out.” “Good luck, Lloyd,” Cadwalader says, getting up. “He won’t need it. He’s up against Evans, after all,” Celina says. “We’ll let you know about our findings when you get back.” The pair walk away, leaving Lloyd to his wine. “Hope you can command after that glass, Lloyd. That’s some strong wine,” Markus says, taking his own seat. “It knocked me for a loop.” “I should be fine,” Lloyd says, draining his glass. “I’m up now, anyways.” He walks towards the entranceway, stumbling slightly. Attacker Symbol = |-| General = Weapons: Ranged: Yumi Polearm: Alabarda Main hand melee: Claymore Offhand: Scottish War hammer Single Combat is accepted. |-| Army = Tactics: Offensive: Feigned Retreat Attaking Army: 10,000 men strong. Units: 2000 men with swords 2000 men with axes 2000 men with pikes 4,000 archers Siege Weapons: Ballista (5) steel bolts Catapults (5) rocks, plague infested bodies Defender Symbol = |-| General = *Weapons: **Long Range: Composite Recurve Bow with poisoned armor-piercing arrows **Polearm: Halberd (axe head opposite a slotted dismounting hook; shaft ends in a pike). **Main-hand: Talwar **Off-hand: short axe (2 ft handle) *Armor: Riveted Plated Mail Will accept Single Combat requests if losing or confident of a win in combat; will not accept if the enemy is nearly routed. |-| Army = Defending Siege Countermeasures *All units wear riveted plated mail. *4 Scorpion Ballistae firing steel bolts, Greek Fire jar tipped bolts, disease jar tipped bolts, or heads impaled on wooden stakes **4 men per Ballista **Secondary weapons: Pata-style Shortsword and Jamadhar-style Katar. *4 Greek Fire throwing teams (in jars) **3 men per team **Secondary weapons:Pata-style Shortsword and Jamadhar-style Katar. *2 15-inch Canons firing Grapeshot, iron balls, Canister Shot, or bits of scrap metal. **4 people per cannon **Secondary weapons: Aspis and Xyston *2 Farming units **30 people per unit **Secondary weapons: Pata-style Shortsword and Jamadhar-style Katar. Infantry *Organized into brigades of 2500 men, then into divisions of 500, then squads of 20. *5000 Infantrymen wearing riveted plated mail & Barbute **Specialized weapon: short spear & buckler **Secondary Weapon: axe and buckler *250 squad leaders wearing laminar over leather & Barbute **Specialized weapon: short Axe and spiked, plated Targe **Secondary weapon: Swordbreaker and spiked, plated targe *10 division leaders wearing lamellar over chainmail **Specialized weapon: Swordbreaker and buckler **Secondary Weapon: Broadsword and Buckler *2 brigade leaders wearing Chihal'Ta Hazar Masha (Coat of 10,000 Nails) over leather & Barbute **Specialized Weapon: Broadsword and Dagger **Secondary Weapon: Kopis and Dagger *1 overall leader wearing a metal breastplate over plated chainmail and Barbute **Specialized weapon: Kopis & plated targe **Secondary weapon: short spear & plated targe Support *4 Wall Marshals wearing full Karuta armour with Zunari Kabuto **Specialized weapon: Wakizashi (carries four or five) **Secondary Weapon: Kozuka *Reserve; Organized into divisions of 500 men, further divided into squads with 20 men each. **1000 Reserve Members wearing Chihal'Ta Hazar Masha (Coat of 10,000 Nails) & Barbute ***Specialized weapon: Kilij and Buckler ***Secondary Weapon: Swordbreaker and buckler **50 squad leaders wearing Chihal'Ta Hazar Masha (Coat of 10,000 Nails) & Bascinet ***Specialized weapon: Swordbreaker & Buckler ***Secondary weapon: Axe and Buckler **2 Division Leaders wearing Chihal'Ta Hazar Masha (Coat of 10,000 Nails) with Burgonet ***Specialized Weapon: Axe and Buckler ***Secondary Weapon: Rapier and Buckler **1 Overall Leader wearing Chihal'Ta Hazar Masha (Coat of 10,000 Nails) with ornate Burgonet ***Specialized Weapon: Rapier and Khanjar ***Secondary Weapon: Kilij and Khanjar *869 workers making materials for coutermeasures **Secondary weapon: Pata and Buckler Crossbowmen *Organized into squads of 20 men each, 10 men and 10 loaders. *100 Crossbowmen wearing Riveted plated mail & Barbute: **Specialized Weapon: Arbalest Crossbow **Secondary Weapon: Axe and Buckler *100 Loaders wearing Riveted plated mail & Barbute: **Specialized Weapon: Arbalest Crossbow **Secondary Weapon: Axe and Buckler *10 Squad Commanders wearing Laminar Armor & Barbute: **Specialized Weapon: Arbalest Crossbow **Secondary Weapon: Spatha and Buckler *1 Crossbow Commander wearing Riveted Plated Chainmail: **Specialized Weapon: Arbalest Crossbow **Secondary Weapon: Khanjar and Buckler Tactics *Harrass attackers with Crossbow Volleys *Attempt precision attacks on command center(s) with Scorpion *Use Greek Fire arrows at night to throw camps into chaos **Try to target cooks, supplies, medical tents, etc. *When POWs or enemy dead are captured, send heads back on bolts after interrogation interspersed with diseased bolts *Wall Marshals are given command of each wall *Have Greek Fire jar throwers hit battering rams, belfries, enemies, etc. *Canons are used during massed attacks *Also used during breakthroughs to make halls a killing field *Stringent anti-infiltration measures. *All orders are written in code. Redundant messengers are used to ensure order reaches the officers. X-Factors These X-Factors are created by taking averages from the X-Factor evaluation blog, rounded to the nearest number. I did not choose them. There is no bias. Victory Conditions Attacker= *Overrun castle *Force defender to surrender *Win Single Combat |-| Defender= *Force attacker to surrender *Annihilate attacker *Survive for 4 months *Win Single Combat |-|Tie= *One side meets the victory conditions but loses their general *Both sides lose their general. Notes Battle = *Any siege weapons without a crew cannot be used *Area is as follows: **A square, stone fort with a tower at each corner and one in the center. It is on a hill, but has no other natural barriers. Castle is 100 m x 100 m x 125 m. Towers have a 10 m radius and are 150 m tall. The fighting is mostly close-quarters in small areas within the castle. |-|Voting = *Votes with at least five complete and relevant sentences count as a full vote. *Votes with one sentence do not count. *All other votes count as a half vote. *Any well-reasoned counter-arguments that aren't subjected to a well-reasoned rebuttal can lower a vote by half a point. *Simply stating overwhelming numbers is not a reason |-| General's Kit = *Includes: **A telescope / looking glass for his personal use and others for the commanders **Several maps of the area **Locations of friendly supply lines **Various support personnel: a quartermaster corps, cooking corps, medical corps, and religious services Battle 0 Months, 0 Days, 18 Hours. James Evans paces in his tent, trying to make the best of the disaster he found himself in. He had catapults and ballistae, but no men who knew how to operate them. He had already given instructions to his archers to strike what they could, but he knew it wouldn’t be enough. This would be his first strike against the British – the man commanding here was supposed to be taking a contract from them. “General Kumar!” “What?” “Our scouts captured one of the enemy, sir. He’s in the dungeons.” Lloyd Kumar smiled. He hadn’t expected a source of information so soon. Getting up from the maps sprawled across his desk and the half-ciphered orders for his defense, he signals for the messenger to lead the way. While walking, he passes both of the Wall Marshalls commanding the walls facing the enemy. “Tauroneo! Bazuso! Use the Greek Fire arrows tonight.” The Marshalls salute, nod, and walk away. Lloyd and the messenger reach the dungeon. Lloyd sends the messenger on his way and descends, an evil grin slowly creeping across his face. James Evans is ordering his men to act like they’re retreating. His only hope is that he can trick his opponent into abandoning the castle to chase him. One of the men whose tent was near the ammo stockpile for the useless catapults is too sick to work. Evans sighs and continues trying to plan around the inevitable epidemic. Lloyd took the paring knife from the man set to fetch it and held it over the flame. “Pay attention now, boys,” he said mildly, “When you interrogate someone using a knife, heat it beforehand. We don’t want him dying, and the heat causes extra pain.” Satisfied that the knife is hot enough, he makes a small incision in his victim’s scrotum. “Always start with an extremely painful area, but be careful not to use your worst technique. It should be one of your least painful.” He took some of the ceramic beads – some filled with Greek Fire and some filled with the ignition fluid – and threw them in. He then selected some thread and started sewing it back up. He then had his assistants move the man to a cell closer to where the others are being held. “And remember, folks, when you have multiple prisoners, keep the preparation screened. But let them hear their comrade’s screams.” He then set his victim’s genitals on a stool, and stomped on them. The Greek Fire ignited, and the man screamed in pain. “And when you use a technique like this, you should question his companions while he’s in pain.” Lloyd turns, smiling politely, and enters the adjacent hall to begin his questions. 1 Months, 5 Days, 17 Hours. James Evans found himself in quite a bind. The only strategy he had was to try and force his enemy into attacking, but his troops were too sick and demoralized to withstand an assault. They had been running around most nights trying to put out fires, and had seen their friend’s heads shot at them on stakes, one even taking another man’s head off. There was not a single healthy man in his army, some had the plague he foolishly brought with him and others had something else he didn’t know about. Lloyd stood on the wall, all four of his Wall Marshalls gathered behind him. “It looks like a graveyard down there,” Marshall Tauroneo says. “Even though we can keep him out, how do we keep the disease out?” this came from Marshall Bazuso. “In my country we have a way of ensuring that an area with plague is isolated,” Lloyd says, “We cleanse it. With fire. Basuzo, Tauroneo, Wallace, Adon – use up the entire Greek Fire bolt stockpile we have. Fire is common in the holy rituals of my people. Let the scourge be cleansed in holy fire.” That night, the ground in front of the castle burned in an inferno. Lloyd’s men retreated to the innermost parts of the castle, lest the flames burn them, too. A brief flash of light at dawn returned both generals to the waiting area. Statistics: *Total Time: 1 Month, 6 Days, 6 Hours, 30 Minutes. *Total Losses: 10,018 **Evans: 10,001 **Lloyd: 17 Category:Blog posts